At the recently-ended 8th Women in Food and Agricultural Leadership Training Forum (WOFAGRIC) and Gold in the Soil Awards, held in the Savannah Region, the spotlight was once again placed on the resilience, achievements and growing influence of women in Ghana’s agricultural sector. The forum brought together women farmers, agribusiness leaders, policymakers, development partners and stakeholders to celebrate progress, share experiences and discuss practical ways of strengthening women’s participation in agriculture.
Among those who shared their inspiring journeys were past Gold in the Soil Awards winners Portia Asumda, Nana Yaa Esuama Yeboah I, and Abigail Ghama. Their stories offered a powerful reflection of what can happen when recognition is followed by meaningful support, exposure and opportunities for growth.
For years, Global Affairs Canada has remained a consistent partner in supporting initiatives that empower women in agriculture, including its support to Agrihouse Foundation and platforms such as WOFAGRIC and the Gold in the Soil Awards. This continued partnership has helped create spaces where women are not only celebrated for what they have achieved, but are also connected to opportunities that enable them to strengthen their businesses, expand their networks and increase their visibility.
For these three women, the journey did not end upon receiving their awards. In many ways, it was only the beginning.
Portia Asumda: From a Woman Farmer to a More Visible Agribusiness Leader
In 2021, Portia Asumda from the Upper East Region was recognized as a Gold in the Soil Awards winner for her contribution to agriculture.
Portia is not a woman who limits herself to one area of farming. She is involved in shea butter processing, rice, soybean and groundnut farming, as well as pineapple production.
But behind these activities is a story of determination, persistence and a woman who has continued to look for ways to expand her agricultural journey. For Portia, the support from Global Affairs Canada has been particularly significant.
She describes the support as something that has made her proud and given her greater visibility, both within Ghana and beyond borders.
One of the most significant milestones in her journey was the opportunity to start her pineapple production in the Upper East Region, which was made possible through Global Affairs Canada.
What started as an opportunity has become part of her growing agricultural portfolio.
Today, Portia is no longer simply known as a farmer in her community. Her work has gained greater visibility, allowing more people to know her story, her products and the possibilities within agriculture.
For her, the impact of support goes beyond financial or material assistance; It is about being seen. It is about having people believe that a woman farmer in the Upper East Region can build something meaningful, expand her production and become visible on platforms beyond her immediate community.
And perhaps that is one of the greatest transformation’s agriculture can offer a woman who once worked quietly on her farm becoming a woman whose work is now recognized, celebrated and creating possibilities for others.
Nana Yaa Esuama Yeboah I: Growing a Poultry Business
For Nana Yaa Esuama Yeboah I, the 2024 Gold in the Soil Awards winner from the Bono Region, agriculture is both a livelihood and a responsibility.
She is a farmer and poultry farmer who has continued to build her enterprise despite the many challenges that confront women in agriculture.
Poultry farming requires commitment. It requires investment, proper management, access to markets and the courage to continue even when the returns do not come immediately.
With Global Affairs Canada’s support to Agrihouse Foundation and its work to support women like Nana Yaa, she has been able to expand her poultry business.
The expansion has given her the opportunity to think beyond simply keeping birds for survival. It has allowed her to look at her poultry enterprise as a business with room to grow.
For Nana Yaa, the support represents something important: the opportunity to build on what she had already started.
This is critical because women farmers do not always need someone to start their journey for them. Often, they need someone to help them take the next step. Nana Yaa had already begun her journey; the support helped her move further.
Abigail Ghama: Turning Local Resources into Products with Value
In the Eastern Region, Abigail Ghama, the 2023 She innovate winner as part of the Gold in the soil awards represents another side of agricultural transformation the power of innovation and value addition.
Through her company, Ghamfrost Enterprise, Abigail works across several areas of agribusiness.
She produces palm oil and palm kernel oil, makes different types of soaps, and grows turmeric and ginger, which she also processes and adds value to.
For Abigail, farming is not simply about producing raw materials; It is about asking a bigger question: “What more can I create from what I produce?” That question has allowed her to move from production into processing and value addition.
Instead of allowing agricultural products to leave the farm in their raw form, Abigail is turning them into products that can be processed, packaged and taken to the market. Her journey is an example of why supporting women in agriculture must go beyond farming alone.
Women need opportunities to develop businesses around agriculture, to process, package, brand and market what they produce. The support and platforms created through the partnership around the Gold in the Soil Awards have contributed to giving women like Abigail greater visibility and opportunities to showcase what they are capable of.
Her story is particularly important for young women watching from the sidelines. It tells them that agriculture is not only about planting and harvesting.
The Journey Continues
Portia is still farming and processing. Nana Yaa is still growing her poultry business. Abigail is still producing, processing and innovating.
None of them has reached the end of the journey and perhaps that is the most exciting part. Their stories show that empowerment is not a destination. It is a journey.
A journey from small beginnings to bigger possibilities. From being known in a community to being visible across borders. From producing raw materials to creating value-added products. From running a small enterprise to building a stronger business. And from receiving an award to becoming an inspiration for other women.
About WOFAGRIC and the Gold in the soil awards
The Women in Food and Agricultural Leadership Forum and Gold in The Soil Awards (WOFAGRIC) is a platform that honors and empowers women farmers, young female Agripreneurs, and women with disabilities.
It provides leadership building, agribusiness skills development, market linkages and competence-based training. The two-day event is crowned with an awards ceremony; Gold in the Soil Awards to recognize, celebrate and honour women excelling in the agribusiness value chain.
WOFAGRIC and the Gold in the Soil Awards have rotated across ten regions, including Volta, Ashanti, Western, Western North, Upper East, Upper West, Eastern, Bono, the Central Region and now the Savannah region. The initiative has impacted over 120,000 women across Ghana, and continues to grow in scale, depth, and influence.
Agrihouse Foundation remains committed to its mission of shaping an inclusive future for Ghana’s agricultural sector, one that recognizes, equips, and elevates the voices and efforts of women.
